Workers Compensation

Have you been injured on the job?Are you concerned about whether the injury is permanent?Are you worried about how to pay your bills while you are out of work?

If so, give us a call. You never know how precious your health is until you lose it. Maybe you were injured a workplace accident — you were loading boxes and slipped on the dock, or you were around some heated machinery and suffered a burn injury. Maybe your injury happened slowly — after 15 years of data entry, your fingers start feeling tingly and numb.

If you are injured on the job, you are entitled to workers' compensation. Also known as workers’ comp or workman’s comp, the disability benefits that you get are based on the extent of the impairment or injury. If you were injured due to someone's negligence other than your employer, you may also be entitled to third-party injury benefits.

Workers’ comp benefits are based on the extent of your disability. The laws in Alabama are not favorable to the employee. If the disability is partial, you get a maximum of 300 weeks of compensation—about 6 ½ years. If the disability is permanent and total, you could get benefits for life.

In order to receive the benefits you need to pay your bills and provide for your family, you need to have a knowledgeable attorney on your side. An attorney can help ensure that the calculations for your benefits are correct so that you are not denied the financial assistance you need.

There is a physical impairment rating and a vocational impairment rating. The law states that you are entitled to be compensated based on the impairment on your ability to earn, not just your physical impairment rating that is usually given by the doctor. However, the insurance company may try to pay you solely based on your doctor’s physical impairment rating. That usually results in a much lower settlement offer. A lawyer can help you properly evaluate your case by taking ALL factors allowed by law into account. The attorney’s fees are limited by statute in Alabama. You do not have to worry about affording an attorney if you have suffered a permanent injury on the job.

More Things to Know About Workers' Compensation

Even though it is illegal to fire someone for making a workers' compensation claim, it often happens. An attorney can challenge a wrongful termination.

You may be able to file a separate personal injury lawsuit, enabling you to collect more, if someone other than your employer was responsible for your worksite injury.

No matter how desperate you may feel, you should usually not accept the first settlement offer you get. Chances are your case is worth more than is initially offered.